The climbers are at Plaza Argentina, the basecamp on the Vacas Valley side of Aconcagua. It’s always nice to get through the first phase of the trip, the trek to basecamp, and settle in to basecamp for a few days before the climbing begins.  They travelled up the Relinchos Valley today, leaving the Vacas Valley and ascending to camp at 13,800 ft.  They have seen a couple of herds of Guanaco’s, the wild cousin of the Llama that inhabit that area, over the last couple of days. They are one of the first teams up to the Plaza Argentina basecamp this season, so they get to experience some quieter camps and see some of the wildlife that will disappear as the route gets busier later in the season.

The Plaza Argentina base is an important place to relax and acclimatize for a bit before pushing up the mountain so tomorrow is a scheduled rest/acclimatization day.  This is also a very comfortable camp with a cook preparing meals for the team and a dining dome as well as hot showers and internet access. Sounds like the team is enjoying it so far and getting into some heated card games!

Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch from Basecamp!